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At Family Science Night, Wonder Comes Before Answers.
BAR HARBOR—Family Science Night isn’t really about science. It’s about wonder. It’s about watching a five-year-old realize that the tiny creature under a microscope is a real living thing. It’s about a teenager discovering that the scientist explaining genetics or regeneration isn’t much older than they are. It’s about parents seeing curiosity spread across a child’s face the way excitement spreads across a crowd at a Fourth of July parade. For one evening, families realize that the laboratory isn’t some secretive place where knowledge is hidden behind white coats and closed doors. They learn that the lab is a place their neighbors work, their friends’ parents work, and it becomes a place where questions matter more than answers. It’s a place where wonder is the origin for knowledge. At the lab, children learn that it’s okay not to know. Adults remember that they once asked “Why?” about everything. Scientists are reminded why they fell in love with discovery in the first place. There are experiments, games, obstacle courses, and demonstrations, of course. But those are really just invitations—to touch, to explore, to laugh, to make mistakes, and to ask one more question. In a world that often rewards certainty, Family Science Night celebrates curiosity. And perhaps that’s its greatest gift. Long after the microscopes are packed away and the experiments are over, what families take home isn’t just a few new facts about biology. They take home the feeling that discovery belongs to everyone—that science isn’t something happening somewhere else by someone else. It’s simply what happens when people are given permission to wonder. A Family Science Night at the Mount Desert Island Biological Laboratory is one of those rare community events where children and adults can experience science as something they do, not just something they read about. Hands on discovery allows hands-on learning and joy. Real scientists, some local, some scientist-interns (but still scientists) just in college make science real, approachable, and exciting. And there, complex ideas like forever chemical-filtration, DNA and so much more become not complex. Instead, they become fun. Summer fellows are challenged to explain cutting-edge biomedical research in ways a first-grader—and their grandparent—can understand. Past activities have explored gene expression, kidney function, axolotl regeneration, worms, microplastics, and phytoplankton through games and creative demonstrations. Though it’s called family night, you can also see adults going from station to station, exploring, learning together across ages. Family Science Night reflects the laboratory’s broader mission of breaking down barriers between researchers and the public, helping people understand how scientific discoveries relate to everyday life and the health of Maine’s environment. Family Science Night transforms a world-class research laboratory into a giant interactive classroom, where curiosity is encouraged, questions are celebrated, and families discover that science isn’t just something that happens in a lab—it’s an adventure anyone can join. About MDI Biological Laboratory For more than 125 years, MDI Bio Lab has been a center for training and research in comparative biology. In the last two decades its biomedical research has focused on aging, regeneration, and environmental toxins. The Laboratory houses 11 research groups staffed by an international team of world-class scientists and graduate students. It also leads a statewide network of colleges, universities and research institutions that collaborate to provide training, research experiences and financial support to help young Mainers play a bigger role in today’s biomedical revolution. Located on Maine’s rugged coast, the Laboratory’s 100+ acre campus houses research facilities, cottages and dorms that house visiting scientists and students. It is also home to MDI Bioscience, a subsidiary working to design innovative techniques to speed the drug discovery process. LINKS TO LEARN MORE NIH INBRE MDI BIOLOGICAL LABORATORY Photos: Carrie Jones and Shaun Farrar/Bar Harbor Story HELP SUPPORT THE BAR HARBOR STORY When we started The Bar Harbor Story, we didn’t know if anyone would read it. But you showed up. You shared. You sent tips. Now—over 400,000 views every month later—it’s clear: people here care about their community and each other. We’ve kept everything free because news should never be out of reach, but every one of our stories takes time to write, and your support keeps The Bar Harbor Story going. If you value our work, please consider a paid subscription, a founding membership, or a sponsorship. It truly helps us cover one more meeting, tell one more story, shine one more light. Even $5 a month makes a difference. Click here to become a one-time supporter now. Thank you so much for being here. Founding member information can be found here. Have questions about sponsorships? Just send Shaun an email at sfarrar86@gmail.com, he’d love to hear from you. Subscribe Share Bar Harbor Story Share Leave a comment
Colorado Politics Calendar July 13-19
CoPo’s weekly political calendar helps you find political and public policy events throughout Colorado. It includes candidate and issue campaign events, public policy meetings, court hearings, state and local party conventions, assemblies, debates, rallies, parades, speaking engagements, traveling dignitary appearances, water meetings, book signings, county commission hearings, city council meetings and more. As a subscriber, […]
Housing bill gave Republicans a win. Then Trump showed up.
Republicans had a clear win with the bipartisan 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act. They were ready to celebrate, until Trump rained on their parade.
The whirlwind 72 hours of rival AI announcements
The major AI labs, from OpenAI to Meta, have released a parade of new products in the last three days. Here's your rundown.
Denton’s Fourth of July 2026
Denton celebrated the United States’ 250th birthday on Saturday, July 4, with the Yankee Doodle Parade in downtown and a fireworks show in the evening, presented by the Denton Noon
America celebrates its 250th birthday after another rough year
War, inflation and presidential grifting mark an Independence Day best put in the past. But America has made it through worse times, which lends perspective and offers hope for better times ahead.
America at 250: July 4th marked by celebration and political division
From SoCal beach parades to sweltering East Coast crowds, see how Americans balanced patriotism, World Cup fever and political division on the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
What to know for Rockford’s Fourth of July parade and fireworks
What to know for Rockford’s Fourth of July parade and fireworks
Fireworks, heat and politics: America celebrates its 250th birthday
WASHINGTON — The 250th anniversary of American independence is colliding with a country gripped by political polarization and a heat wave bearing...
Colorado Politics Calendar July 6-12
CoPo’s weekly political calendar helps you find political and public policy events throughout Colorado. It includes candidate and issue campaign events, public policy meetings, court hearings, state and local party conventions, assemblies, debates, rallies, parades, speaking engagements, traveling dignitary appearances, water meetings, book signings, county commission hearings, city council meetings and more. As a subscriber, […]
Hot ticket: Fireworks, drones and patriotic celebrations
Fireworks will light up the skies from Galveston Bay to the Gulf this weekend as communities across Galveston County celebrate America’s 250th birthday with parades, concerts, drone shows and patriotic
Honolulu Pride lineup announced for October parade, festival
The Hawaiʻi LGBT Legacy Foundation has announced the entertainment lineup for the 2026 Honolulu Pride Festival, featuring nationally known performers and local talent, and will take place on Octobe…
Entertainment: Parades, a Drone Show and So Many Fireworks
Independence Day celebrations in all shapes and sizes.
Is America celebrating the wrong anniversary? John Adams thought so.
The Founding Father anticipated “Pomp and Parade” to mark America’s birthday. But he didn’t think it would happen July 4.
Celebrate America's birthday with area parades, fireworks and festivities
From fireworks displays and patriotic parades to live music and food trucks, the Blackstone Valley is ready to celebrate Independence Day with a variety of festive traditions. This year’s Fourth
Ad Performance And Politics Steered Brand Dollars Away From LGBTQ+ Communities – But The Pendulum Will Swing Back
The current administration discouraged many brands and organizations from supporting and marketing to the LGBTQ+ community, including in June
Old Home Week Parade rolls through Punxsy
PUNXSUTAWNEY — One of the highlights of the summer, the Punxsutawney Old Home Week Parade on Mahoning Street in downtown Punxsutawney, was held on Saturday afternoon under partly sunny skies
Heavy Metal Legend Releases New Song Amid 2026 Tour
Nightwish's Floor Jansen is back with a fearless new single.
Our picks for the best things to do in Cincinnati this week, June 29-July 5
If you're wanting to see some fireworks this week, we've got you covered. Find an event in your community to celebrate Independence Day.
LGBTQ+ Pride parades set for Sunday in NYC and San Francisco
Pride Month celebrations are peaking with big parades in New York, San Francisco and some other cities on Sunday.
Colorado Politics Calendar June 29-July 5
CoPo’s weekly political calendar will help you find political and public-policy events throughout Colorado. It includes candidate and issue campaign events, public policy meetings, court hearings, state and local party conventions, assemblies, debates, rallies, parades, speaking engagements, traveling dignitary appearances, water meetings, book signings, county commission hearings, city council meetings and more. As a subscriber, […]
Country Star Releases New Album for the First Time in Nearly Three Years
Cody Johnson returns with his first studio album in nearly three years, featuring 16 tracks and deeply personal stories inspired by his Texas roots.
13 things to do this weekend around the Seattle area
From the Seattle Pride Parade to new art gallery exhibitions, here are the latest local things to do around the Seattle area.
13 things to do this weekend around the Seattle area
From the Seattle Pride Parade to new art gallery exhibitions, here are the latest local things to do around the Seattle area.
How anti-LGBTQ policies can affect business
Despite federal backlash against corporate DEI policies, companies that invest in inclusivity know that it makes economic sense.
Knicks Fan Who Stole Trash Can Identified, Fired From Job
The New York Knicks fan who went viral last week for appearing to steal a Knicks-themed trash can during the team's NBA Finals parade has reportedly been identified and fired. Last week, as the New York Knicks held their NBA Finals championship parade, the city brought out special orange-and-blue, ...
Zane’s Trace Commemoration Continues with Parade, Entertainment and Community Spirit - WHIZ - Fox 5 / Marquee Broadcasting
The second day of the Zane’s Trace Commemoration wrapped up with a full schedule of activities, entertainment and family-friendly fun in Putnam. The day began with a parade and a 5K before crowds gathered at Putnam Park to browse vendors and enjoy a variety of performances throughout the afternoon. What was once an event that had faded away has found...
Canes victory parade draws 180,000 people, brings economic boost to businesses in Raleigh
Parade organizers said they now have a clearer understanding of how to manage large-scale events downtown.
Puppets, performers and politics filled the streets at LACMA’s first-ever Art Parade
The first-ever Los Angeles Art Parade and LACMA block party drew an estimated 60,000 to Wilshire Boulevard.
Puppets, performers and politics filled the streets at LACMA’s first-ever Art Parade
The first-ever Los Angeles Art Parade and LACMA block party drew an estimated 60,000 to Wilshire Boulevard.
The Carolina Hurricanes Stanley Cup Parade Was Magnificently Unhinged
A Mikko Rantanen sweater was thrown into the parade path (and stomped on by fans), and three of the featured […]
1980's 'That's Entertainment' by The Jam: Written in Just 10 Minutes
The track became one of the rock band's most acclaimed songs.
Nicolas Deslauriers re-signs with Hurricanes during parade: ‘Two more f–king years’
Nicolas Deslauriers got down to business.
Sports culture expert discuss impact of Knicks win for city identity
Watch the full interview here.
Hurricanes fans jam into downtown Raleigh for team's Stanley Cup parade
Thousands of fans arrived hours early to line sidewalks for the team’s victory parade or packed in near the rally stage.
PHOTOS: Fans and Hurricanes celebrate in Raleigh victory parade
A victory parade Saturday morning celebrated the Carolina Hurricanes' Stanley Cup win.
From The Sports Desk: Our reporters take you behind the scenes of a historic stretch in sports
Over the past few weeks, we’ve seen the Knicks win the NBA title, the UFC host an event on the White House lawn, and the World Cup kick into gear. We were there for it all.
Colorado Politics Calendar June 22-28
CoPo’s weekly political calendar will help you find political and public-policy events throughout Colorado. It includes candidate and issue campaign events, public policy meetings, court hearings, state and local party conventions, assemblies, debates, rallies, parades, speaking engagements, traveling dignitary appearances, water meetings, book signings, county commission hearings, city council meetings and more. As a subscriber, […]
Slocomb Tomato Festival to feature parade, live entertainment and vendors
One of Slocomb’s most beloved traditions returns on Saturday.
Knicks offseason outlook: New York's mission is simple — keep the parade vibes going
Politicians share the spotlight at Knicks parade, diehard fan or not
Mayor Mamdani rode on a float, handed out keys to the city and made a speech heavy on Knicks history.
NYPD mistakes Knicks player for a fan, tries to kick him out of championship parade
Awkward. Police didn't recognize point guard Tyler Kolek at the event celebrating the New York Knicks' big win.
3 generations of Knicks fans watch parade from Business Insider office
Winston Lord, 88, and family watched the Knicks parade from Business Insider's office, celebrating a historic NBA championship in New York.
Stanley Cup cash flow: Downtown Raleigh businesses prepare for big crowds during Saturday's parade
Before Saturday's Stanley Cup championship parade, downtown Raleigh businesses are stocking up for what could be the busiest day of the year.
Exclusive: Rama Duwaji Sports Cult NYC Label at New York Knicks Championship Parade
"I could not be more proud of our city and everyone representing it right now," said designer Miss Claire Sullivan, who made the upcycled dress entirely from bootleg Knicks merch.
This Spirited New Puzzle Platformer Puts A Clever Spin On Celeste
Tethergeist is a clever spin on a familiar genre, with a parade of new and interesting ideas giving it a soul all its own
The surprising science history behind New York City’s ticker-tape parades
On Thursday Knicks fans are flocking to Manhattan for a ticker-tape parade. But where did ticker tape even come from?
Here's how to watch New York Knicks parade, championship celebration
Yankees’ power parade flattens White Sox once again
With the Knicks’ parade on the horizon, the Bomber bats kept the good times rolling in the Bronx.
Northwestern Medicine Announces a $35M Grant to Launch a Community Health Institute
Schreiber Philanthropy is investing in Northwestern Medicine’s efforts to expand access to care, build the community health workforce, and address social health needs
Osage Beach cancels Fourth of July parade after feedback from business owners
Osage Beach city officials announced they were canceling their Fourth of July parade.A press release from City Administrator Devin Lake states that they made th
Politics, Pubs, Parades, and the Parish: Joan Quigley, Part II
Former Assemblywoman Joan Quigley reflects on her legislative accomplishments, including helping pass New Jersey’s DNA evidence law.
Jose Alvarado takes Knicks' title celebration to Puerto Rican Day Parade alongside New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani: 'I'm blessed
Puerto Rican Day Parade marches through Manhattan with pulsing music and vibrant colors
New Yorkers who weren’t partied out after the Knicks championship found another excuse to celebrate as the National Puerto Rican Day Parade marched through Manhattan with pulsing music and vibrant colors.
Puerto Rican Day Parade marches through Manhattan with pulsing music and vibrant colors
New Yorkers who weren’t partied out after the Knicks championship found another excuse to celebrate as the National Puerto Rican Day Parade marched through Manhattan with pulsing music and vibrant colors | Talk 1370
Puerto Rican Day Parade marches through Manhattan with pulsing music and vibrant colors
New Yorkers who weren’t partied out after the Knicks championship found another excuse to celebrate as the National Puerto Rican Day Parade marched through Manhattan with pulsing music and vibrant...
Minerva Homecoming 2026 brings parade, entertainment and family events to Municipal Park
The June 10-13 festival at Municipal Park included entertainment, food, family activities and parade award winners.
Colorado Politics Calendar June 15-21
CoPo’s weekly political calendar helps you find political and public policy events throughout Colorado. It includes candidate and issue campaign events, public policy meetings, court hearings, state and local party conventions, assemblies, debates, rallies, parades, speaking engagements, traveling dignitary appearances, water meetings, book signings, county commission hearings, city council meetings and more. As a subscriber, […]
Celebrating four decades of emergency medical service in Santa Monica
UCLA Health’s Dr. Walid Ghurabi has been named grand marshal of Santa Monica’s Fourth of July parade.
Parade politics: Collins and Wu-backed challenger Gayle mount-up for summer contest
The contest for First Suffolk Senate got more interesting last week when Mayor Wu back a challenger to Sen. Nick Collins.
Community Days returns with expanded entertainment, parade and biggest fireworks show yet
DuBOIS — For 33 years, DuBois Community Days has brought residents together for a weekend of entertainment, food, family activities and hometown pride.
ENTERTAINMENT: Flag Day concert, ‘Anastasia’ musical on weekend ‘set list’
The Little Rock Winds’ 29th annual Flag Day concert, 7 p.m. Sunday on the old parade ground behind the MacArthur Museum of Arkansas Military History in MacArthur Park continues the band’s America250 celebration with a program of marches, patriotic songs, and pop tunes.
ENTERTAINMENT: Flag Day concert, ‘Anastasia’ musical on weekend ‘set list’
The Little Rock Winds’ 29th annual Flag Day concert, 7 p.m. Sunday on the old parade ground behind the MacArthur Museum of Arkansas Military History in MacArthur Park continues the band’s America250 celebration with a program of marches, patriotic songs, and pop tunes.
Athens Pridefest 2026 brings parade, music and vendors downtown
Athens Pridefest returned to downtown on June 6, 2026, featuring a parade, live entertainment and local vendors. See moments from the celebration in this photo gallery.
We're getting our first HD-2D Final Fantasy game, and it's based on the now-shuttered mobile title Brave Exvius
Rain on your parade.
PrideFest celebrated in downtown Athens with parade, more
Pridefest was held in downtown Athens on Saturday, June 6, 2026. The annual event included a parade, live entertainment and local vendors.
Beyond the parade: How Pride events are tackling LGBTQ+ health disparities
What do volleyball games and powerlifting have to do with Pride Month? More than you might think. How Des Moines organizations are using fitness to build community and improve the mental health of LGBTQ+ Iowans.
Politics, Pubs, Parades, and the Parish: Joan Quigley
Quigley reflects on her upbringing in an Irish-American family in Jersey City, her early involvement in civic activism
Six Flags Great Adventure's summer additions show the park is investing beyond rides
Six Flags Great Adventure's new summer lineup has A Great Day Parade, Boardwalk Nights, DC Heroes & Villains Fest, and more.
Politics and celebration converge at Boston's Pride parade
Thousands of people celebrated Pride at the annual parade in Downtown Boston on June 6.
PHOTOS: Dayton Pride returns with parade, festival downtown
Dayton’s Pride celebrations are underway downtown. Today’s events include a parade and festival with live entertainment, vendors and food.
An endorsement parade U-turn, an electric bill break - sort of - in political notes
Gov. Wes Moore makes a U-turn in his latest round of endorsements and weighs in on a high-profile county executive race, and federal officials make a U-turn in their assessment of Maryland electricity prices -- but they're still high -- in political notes.
Things to do in the Loveland area on Saturday: Nearly every NoCo community has a festival happening
Nearly every town in Northern Colorado has a festival happening on Saturday, including Bluegrass & Brews Festival and the Colorado Medieval Festival in Loveland, Berthoud Day, Johnstown BBQ Day, Fort Collins Pride 2026 and FoCo EcoFest…
Colorado Politics Calendar June 8-14
CoPo’s weekly political calendar helps you find political and public policy events throughout Colorado. It includes candidate and issue campaign events, public policy meetings, court hearings, state and local party conventions, assemblies, debates, rallies, parades, speaking engagements, traveling dignitary appearances, water meetings, book signings, county commission hearings, city council meetings and more. As a subscriber, […]
Mindy Kaling Reveals Weight Loss Journey and Health Motivations on the Red Carpet
She opened up about why she wanted to slim down.
Summer Entertainment Returns
By JACQI LEYVA-HILL Special to the PARADE As summer visitors begin arriving in the Laguna Madre area, local restaurants are preparing for another busy season filled with live music, community event…
Entertainment: A Weekend of Festivals and Parades
Including PrideFest, Metal Fest, Highland Games and Fiesta Puerto Rico.
Disney reveals new entertainment offering for Oogie Boogie Bash amid ‘Coco’ construction
Disneyland is making changes to its entertainment lineup for Oogie Boogie Bash. Madame Leota’s Swinging Wake, a new entertainment offering, will replace the popular Frightfully Fun Parade this year…
Disneyland construction forces Oogie Boogie Bash to replace Frightfully Fun parade
The new Madame Leota’s Swinging Wake street party joins the 2026 Halloween after-hours event at Disney California Adventure.
Serena Williams Announces Return to Tennis: Everything We Know
The 44-year-old broke the internet with her announcement.
The Arsenal evolution, not revolution
The culmination of Mikel Arteta's 'process', which has now been well and truly 'trusted', may have reached a climax with the Premier League trophy and subsequent parade this weekend just gone. It is healthy, but Arteta needs to know who the key pillars are in his team. Two years ago, I would have said Martin Odegaard but I'm not so sure now.
The 50-Hour Livestream That Aims to #SaveAmericasForecasts
This week, a parade of scientists will spend 50 hours straight speaking about the importance of weather and climate research in the United States.
Italy’s Calafiori leads Arsenal chants from open top bus celebration
Italy international Riccardo Calafiori took centre-stage in Arsenal’s Premier League title parade, leading the chants from the top of the bus for their first victory in 22 years.The Gunners had been...
After $2.3M purchase, Mount Nittany will expand dermatology services at new facility
The repurposed facility will help expand local access to long-sought specalized care.
1969 Hit, Written by Three Rock Legends, Became an Ultimate Road Trip Anthem
The song was released on a 1969 album.
Haaland: There will be much more to come from City!
Erling Haaland says there is even more to come from Manchester City as the Blues’ striker and the Club soaked up a sun drenched 2026 trophy parade. Men's Team Vote for Donnarumma or Trafford for Sav...
HS Sports Schedule
Softball Cascades Conference Championship, Grass Lake at Columbia Central (Senior Night), 5-20-2026. Photos by Hannah Tacy, JTV Sports. Softball Cascades Conference Championship, Grass Lake at Columbia Central (Senior Night), 5-20-2026. Photos by Hannah Tacy, JTV Sports. Latest GalleriesDowntown Jackson Memorial Day Parade and Ceremony, 5-25-26 | Photo GallerySoftball Cascades Championship, Grass Lake vs Columbia…
Why Arsenal can go to the next level
Mikel Arteta has already said he wants "to have the parade with two big trophies" as he sets out to win the Champions League for the first time in Arsenal's history. Arsenal backed Arteta with about £250m of spending last summer as they looked to increase the quality and depth of their squad, and they brought in players like Viktor Gyokeres and Martin Zubimendi, who were categorised as 'win now' signings. Arteta wants to build a legacy of sustained success at Emirates Stadium and once the Champions League final is over, focus will move to tying him down to a new contract.
Politics, Pubs, Parades, and the Parish: Senator Bernie Kenny, Part IV
Former Senator Bernie Kenny of Hoboken in this fourth and final edition of Politics, Pubs, Parades, + the Parish ties together Irish heritage
'X-Files' Episode 'Pusher' Ranked Among Top 10 Best Episodes by Entertainment Weekly
Gilligan thought the episode was his best work at the time.
'Going to be a historical event:' Flavor Flav women's sports parade set
From a social media post to county approval; Flavor Flav's women's sports parade in Las Vegas is officially happening.
Disco Elysium’s spiritual successor can’t escape its phantoms
Zero Parades: For Dead Spies carries the ZA/UM name, but the studio has changed a lot since its previous hit.
Politics, Pubs, Parades, and the Parish: Senator Bernie Kenny, Part III
Former Senator Bernie Kenny of Hoboken in this third edition of Politics, Pubs, Parades, + the Parish shares advice.
Guests celebrate 75 years at Winterthur Field and Fête garden party
Guests gathered at Winterthur for the sold‑out Field and Fête garden party celebrating 75 years with picnics, music and a vintage vehicle parade.
South Bend's Westside Memorial Day Parade marks 100 years
For 100 years, the parade has paid tribute to service members who have died. But it's also a neighborhood and family tradition for the westside.
Now What? With Carbon Pricing Eroded and Pipeline Politics Advancing, Here Are the Pathways for Climate Success
At the end of a whirlwind week of news on carbon pricing and electricity strategy, capping a madcap year of pretty much non-stop, dramatic change, the word across much of Canada’s climate and energy transition community is that climate policy in this country has been shredded. Eviscerated. Hit with a sledgehammer by policy rollbacks that have pushed the country’s 2050 net zero target “well out of reach”. That means it’s never been more important to look for the rays of hope and glimmers of possibility. To glimpse the seeds of the next set of strategies to get Canada’s climate pollution under control and the country into the accelerating global dash away from fossil fuels. And then, once we’ve spotted those possibilities, get on with the hard, day-to-day slog of trying to make them a reality. Nothing takes away from the frustration and the deep disappointment so many climate and energy hawks are expressing, the sense of betrayal by the author of Value(s) and the former UN special envoy for climate action and finance. But we knew two things as the week drew to a close. We’re looking at the world as it most definitely is. And we don’t get to give up finding the pathways to confront climate change and deliver faster, deeper carbon cuts that leave no one else behind. So really, the first question we all have to ask ourselves is: What’s next? Subscribe All the Oxygen in the Room The outpouring of anger and grief over the carbon pricing deal between Prime Minister Mark Carney and Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has been absolutely understandable. So much of the climate community poured years, more than a decade, into dragging the current federal pricing regime across the finish line, then defending it from a deluge of three-syllable rhymes after the Trudeau government proved utterly incapable of delivering its own message. The policy foisted on us by neo-classical economists took up all the oxygen in the room, burned through years of climate response time that we won’t get back, while cornering climate hawks into the position that the best response to the crisis of our lifetimes is a new tax…in an era of historic anti-tax sentiment. I mean, really—what could possibly have gone wrong? Against that history, let’s appreciate columnist Max Fawcett’s point that even a modest carbon pricing agreement with a government as off-the-wall libertarian/conspiracist as Danielle Smith’s—those adjectives are mine, not Max’s—is a win worth savouring (as long as Smith keeps her promises for a change). But part of living in the world as it is (no, I’m not letting that go) is to be clear-headed about what we can and can’t control. And one thing we get to decide, after seeing this week’s carbon price festivities take up all the oxygen yet again, is whether we want to keep letting that happen. Particularly when success down that road depends on a factor that no one with a climate agenda can control or influence—a provincial carbon pricing mechanism that has been manipulated and eroded beyond its lowest possible denominator. Thankfully, that’s not the way it has to go. Not when we have so many other powerful, practical tools at our disposal, including the ones still available to us through this abominable Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Canada and Alberta. Tools In Our Toolbox When I started roughing out this list, I didn’t expect it to grow to nearly a dozen bullet points. It’s probably still incomplete. Some of the greatest hits in today’s climate solutions toolbox include: • No Carbon Capture, No Pipeline: On Friday, Prime Minister Mark Carney explicitly stated that there’s been no change to the MOU provision that there will be no West Coast pipeline without an industry commitment to build its massive, $16.5-billion carbon capture and storage (CCUS) hub in Northern Alberta, and vice versa. The two megaprojects were joined at the hip when the MOU was signed Nov. 27, and the implementation agreement this week affirmed that they still are. A parade of independent analysts have spent years pointing to the economic and technical flaws in CCUS, while the industry kept postponing its investment decision until it could arm-twist the government for more “clarity” (by which it meant even more lavish taxpayer subsidies) on the project. Now the industry itself is running away from the CCUS hub and insisting the pipeline should proceed without it, but Carney doesn’t seem to be budging from a central tenet of the MOU to which Smith has signed on. • No Subsidies, No Investors: Climate analysts and advocates have quite rightly been hammering away at Carney and his team, insisting that any new capacity the industry wants to build must proceed without new subsidies. The government has responded with a growing collection of funding and financing mechanisms for the very wide menu of industrial development and nation-building projects they say they want to take on, and that menu always includes fossil fuel infrastructure. But it’s hard to see how even the combined fiscal clout of the federal and supportive provincial governments will deliver the financial backing private investors would need when the business case for new fossil fuel development is evaporating before their eyes. Particularly when… • No Market, No Demand, No Investors: As our friend Markham Hislop at Energi Media (our apparently sleepless friend, given the massive volume of great material he’s been churning out) points out this morning, the biggest vulnerability in any pipeline deal is the assumption that Asian buyers will want the oil or liquefied natural ga that our fossil industry is so keen to send them. Hislop writes in part: Ottawa and Alberta are effectively betting that countries like China and India will continue increasing oil imports for decades as their economies grow and energy consumption rises. That assumption underpins the entire economic rationale for expanding oil sands production and building billions of dollars in new export infrastructure. But Asian energy systems are changing rapidly… China, India, South Korea, and other major hydrocarbon importers are now investing hundreds of billions of dollars into electricity systems built around wind, solar, batteries, nuclear, hydro, and expanded transmission infrastructure. Domestic “energy sovereignty” is increasingly replacing the old energy-security model based on stable oil and gas imports. Those investments are expected to sharply slow oil demand growth and eventually reverse it, even as overall energy consumption continues rising. There are also refining constraints. Many Asian refineries and petrochemical complexes are already optimized to process discounted heavy crude from the Middle East and Latin America. That raises serious questions about how much additional Canadian bitumen Asian markets can absorb at profitable prices. Small wonder that there’s still no private sector investor for the project, despite Smith’s government desperately beating the bushes to put together a deal. For now, Alberta is acting as proponent and covering early start-up costs for a pitch to the federal Major Projects Office, which could actually turn into the next tough hurdle for Smith and her pipeline to jump. • Canada Day Looms: How ironic that Canada’s birthday this year could become a major chokepoint for the provincial premier who’s been working so diligently to tear the country apart! The July 1 target date for Alberta’s pipeline proposal is baked into the MOU, was reaffirmed by the implementation plan, but it hadn’t dawned on me that it cuts both ways. As one very smart colleague wrote in an email yesterday, “they’ve thrown the ball into Alberta’s court to get the project proposal on the table really quickly and to have to do a whole pile of work to put together a massive, complicated project that would typically take years to assemble, and they’ve given them weeks to do it.” That makes July 1 a looming deadline that Smith won’t be able to run away from politically, especially with the separatists in her party and her caucus breathing down her neck. (See previous ref to off-the-wall.) But if Alberta comes in with a sloppy, incomplete submission, even after Carney bent over backwards to simplify the application process and the rules that govern it, it may be harder for the province or the industry to blame Ottawa and insist on the faster process they claim their investors are demanding. (Oh, wait—which investors would those be??) • We’ll See You In Court (Then We’ll See You Again): If Carney did cave, that would be just one more reason for Indigenous and other affected communities to take the government and the process to court—Just as Alberta First Nations did, successfully, in response to Smith’s half-baked separation referendum. Veterans of the Harper era have been warning that a shoddy process around fossil fuel infrastructure or other major projects will be a recipe for the very delays that process seeks to avoid. And now more than ever, with renewable energy and energy storage eating fossil fuels’ lunch in import markets around the world, a delayed pipeline or LNG terminal may be as good as a cancelled one. • Charged Up, Ready to Go: With its goal of doubling Canada’s electricity supply to meet a doubling of demand by 2050, the national electricity strategy that Carney unveiled Thursday has a lot to like. With its explicit language about speeding the shift from fuels to more efficient and affordable electricity, global investment and deployment patterns that already favour that shift, an emerging bidirectional power grid, the role of front-line options like rooftop solar and heat pumps, the emergence of electric vehicles as behind-the-meter energy storage, and the domestic jobs and manufacturing to make it all happen, the document doubles down on the essential cornerstone of a faster shift off fossil fuels. The strategy envisions a more prominent role for gas and nuclear power. But some of those provisions were already in the Clean Electricity Regulations that climate hawks are now fighting so hard to defend, inserted as a compromise in a futile attempt to mollify the industry and its political representatives in Alberta and Saskatchewan. But once again, gas will be a tougher sell when it’s more expensive and now so much more unpredictable than the clean alternatives. The new nuclear technologies are still speculative and deeply vulnerable to cost overruns. Increasingly, utilities, developers, and investors know it. Carney declared Thursday that “it doesn’t do us good to be sitting in court all the time with provinces. It doesn’t do us good to be talking past each other. What does do us good is to come together with specific projects.” There are no guarantees, but so much of the language and narrative-building in the electricity strategy suggests the lion’s share of those projects will be renewable. • The Party Has Already Started: The electricity strategy only rarely digs down to specific projects, but provinces representing three-quarters of Canada’s population are already embracing a faster transition. Hydro-Québec is working on a 10-year, $185-billion renewable energy and grid buildout by 2035. Ontario recently brought 10 provinces and territories together in a National Energy Corridor Agreement to boost interprovincial and -territorial transmission infrastructure. And the MOU implementation agreement commits Alberta to facilitate investment in renewable energy projects, a big step back from its continuing, punitive restrictions on renewables development. The electricity strategy envisions much of the financing and infrastructure that will be needed to pull those advances together into an integrated whole. • Delivering on Affordability: The MOU implementation plan has little or nothing to say about affordability (are you surprised?), but the electricity strategy does, with a top-line pledge to reduce home energy costs for seven out of 10 Canadian households by 2050, a total saving of $15 billion across the board. It’s just a start, but it puts affordability on the government’s narrative map. If they’re serious and deliberate about patching together a least-cost energy strategy, it’ll have little if any room for oil, gas, or nuclear—not with powerful evidence, for example, that electricity prices are higher when those prices are set by gas. • Smith Proves that Canada Works: By signing a deal that makes it harder to claim the federal government is blocking a new pipeline, Smith has helped prove Carney’s constant anti-separatist refrain that “Canada works”—incurring the rage, no doubt, of her own political base. Canada also needs to work for anyone who depends on a clean environment, healthy and thriving ecosystems, and safe, stable climate. But with Smith and her separatist constituents setting up as a fifth column for annexation by Donald Trump’s United States, let’s set aside any notion that 51st state status for Canada is a recipe for anything other than climate disaster (and so much else). Resisting and withstanding Trump (just 170 more sleeps until mid-term elections, which is a damn sight better than the 730 we started with) doesn’t mean a free pass for a pipeline, but we can still appreciate it that keeping Canada whole and sovereign is still Carney’s Job One. • The Words Not Spoken: Apart from a commitment to export a million barrels of “low-emission” Alberta bitumen per day (memo to Smith and Carney: You realize that that’s less than the industry is already exporting??), the MOU implementation plan says nothing about the international trade and economic sovereignty deals that Carney has been travelling the world to negotiate. It didn’t have to. Carney doesn’t need permission from Danielle Smith, her American enablers, or her separatist allies to continue building the alliances that will ratchet down our economic dependency on our unstable, unreliable neighbour to the south. But every connection he builds with countries outside North America helps align our economy and our future with a faster shift off fossil fuels. Little if any of this was on our bingo cards a year or two ago. But it’s the pathway that has opened up to us. And if it gives Canada any climate or energy gains at all in an era still dominated by Trump and his increasingly ridiculous tariffs, his loutish trade negotiations and his continuing annexation threats, we have to take the wins. Not least because they’ll be the point of departure for what we can achieve in 2027, 2029, and beyond, as Trump’s grip and this era begin to loosen and then fade. What is Carney Doing? If this line of thought is right—and it’s a possibility, not a prediction—it means that Carney’s actions and decisions are largely about buying time. Time for Trump’s power to wane. Time for Alberta’s separatist/conspiracist virus to spread, mutate, die out, or at least die back, with help from a vaccine of federal steadiness and calm (appropriate enough, for a movement populated largely by vaccine deniers) that no conspiracy theory can dismiss. And time for the government’s trade and investment agenda to deliver results—even knowing that some of those results will bring impacts that front-line communities will not and should not accept. In the immediate moment, none of this changes the way the wider climate community has to respond, from campaigners to investors to front-line practitioners. All of our voices are still essential. But those voices will be stronger and more confident if we have a clearer sense of the brutal game we’ve been pulled into, and a plausible path (or two it three) for playing it to the win we need. This conversation also underscores our biggest task for the remaining years of what was supposed to be the “decisive” decade for climate response: if we can shift the energy narrative in Canada, make it a mainstream view that the country’s preoccupation with oil and gas has us falling farther behind a changing world, we’ll see far better results in the 2030s and beyond. For many veteran climate advocates, taking on that part of the fight will begin with recognizing that most of our friends and family, neighbours and colleagues already understand that climate change is real and right in front of us: they’re looking away and staying silent because they don’t have what climate communicator Katharine Hayhoe calls “efficacy”. As Hayhoe recently pointed out in a feature interview with The Energy Mix, it amounts to science denial to keep hammering away at the dire news about global warming without also helping audiences understand what they can do about it, with multiple studies telling us why that won’t work. Far better to open those conversations with the dominant crises like energy security, food security, emergency preparedness and business continuity, affordability, and financial security that have knocked climate change far lower on the list of public priorities, and will likely keep it there. We Knew This Would Happen Climate hawks have always known this day would come. For decades, we warned that everyone had to pay attention to climate change right now, because it would be much tougher to respond once the crisis itself started affecting our daily lives. We were right, and here we are. But now, thanks to decades of hard work, communities and countries have an alternative to doubling down on fossil fuels. “In 10 years everyone will have ‘always known’ that solar and batteries were going to win,” Morgan Solar Executive Chair Mike Andrade writes on LinkedIn. With the disruption in the Strait of Hormuz roiling energy priorities around the world, Canada and the United States are among the shrinking number of countries that are still very keen on fossil fuel development. Understanding that gap is a first, essential step in spotting the opportunities ahead, and averting the deep economic as well as environmental and social risk we face if we don’t seize them. Thanks for reading The Energy Mix Weekender! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support our work. Subscribe Mitchell Beer traces his background in renewable energy and energy efficiency back to 1977, in climate change to 1997. Now he and the rest of the Energy Mix team scan 1,200 news headlines a week to pull together The Energy Mix and The Energy Mix Weekender. Chart of the Week BYD Eyes 20 Dealership Locations After Canada Greenlights Chinese EV Imports ‘Sledgehammer’ Carbon Price Deal Boosts Emissions by 230Mt, Aims for Fall 2027 Pipeline Approval ‘Worse Than Harper’: Regulatory Rollback Would Stop Canada from Assessing Project Impacts, Critics Warn Electricity Strategy Aims for Doubling by 2050, Allows ‘Flexibility’ for Gas Power Plants Opposition Mounts as O’Leary’s Data Centre Approved in Drought-Stricken Utah Diluted Carbon Price Misses ‘Reality of the World We’re In’, Could Impede Diversified Trade: Climate Institute $200B in Clean Energy Investment Will Need On-Time Delivery, Reliable Policies, Trade Association Says ‘Sovereign Pipeline’: CEO Pitches to Keep Trans Mountain in Government Hands What a Supercharged El Niño Could Mean for Canada Canada’s future is electric, and here’s how a power grid superhighway would get us there (Toronto Star) The Perilous Waters of Hecate Strait (Globe and Mail) Saudi Aramco profits jump despite conflict in Middle East (The Guardian) Farmers confront rising cost of fertilizer and fuel as spring seeding under way (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation) Clarkson forecasts 24% decline in offshore oil, gas capital expenditures (Oil & Gas Journal) Pipe Dreams: How Oil and Gas Fail to Deliver Economic Development in Africa (Oil Change International) Developing countries must hold the pen to script the fossil fuel transition (Climate Home News) Iran war threatens the dream of a post-oil economy in the Gulf (Washington Post) U.S. Oil, Gas Work Force Hits Lowest Level Since 2022 (Rigzone) Why Polestar Is Doubling Down on Net Zero as Rivals Pull Back on EVs (Bloomberg) Why this Michigan utility plans to sell its hydro dams for $13 (E&E News/Politico) Levees can no longer save New Orleans (Vox)
Colorado Politics Calendar May 18-24
CoPo’s weekly political calendar helps you find political and public policy events throughout Colorado. It includes candidate and issue campaign events, public policy meetings, court hearings, state and local party conventions, assemblies, debates, rallies, parades, speaking engagements, traveling dignitary appearances, water meetings, book signings, county commission hearings, city council meetings and more. As a subscriber, […]
A free concert, bigger parade and expanded entertainment: Buckhannon's investment helps Strawberry Festival festival reach new heights
Buckhannon boosted its support for the West Virginia Strawberry Festival with a record $50,000 contribution, helping fund a free Main Street concert headlined by Parmalee and expanded entertainment.
Brooklyn FC welcomes the next generation of athletes for Youth Sports Night this Saturday
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Politics, Pubs, Parades, + the Parish: Senator Bernie Kenny Part II
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